Push-to-talk (PTT) service has become a very popular wireless service. PTT provides walkie-talkie type functionality over a cellular system by encoding a user's voice packets and transmitting them to another device using voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP). Typically, the voice packets are sent to a server, which forwards the voice packets to a destination device where they are converted back to audio voice. A popular communication service includes instant messaging (IM) and chat. These communication services allow the exchange of text-based messages between users and groups of users over a distributed Internet protocol (IP) network.
Currently, PTT services do not interact with IM and chat services. However, there are certain instances in which it would be beneficial to allow PTT devices to communicate with IM devices. For example, it would be very difficult to effectively type and carry on an IM or chat session while driving.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved system and method for voice and text based service interworking.